Lambda sensor for V6 - where can I get one?

[johnf]

The garage quoted me £180 for a lambda sesnor for a '87 2.5l V6
There are none listed in the Bongo shop and its not on the compatible parts database. Please! Anyone know of a supplier who can do one for sensible money?
Thanks.

[francophile1947]

Welcome to the madhouse
If you put your location in your profile, somebody may know somewhere local to you.

[Simon Jones]

Bongobits do them for £143: http://www.bongobits.com/Main.asp?PageN ... roduct=316

I'm sure other suppliers will stock them too. Alternatively, you could take a punt on this piece of exhaust with sensor attached:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAZDA-BONGO-MPV-F ... 240%3A1318

[johnf]

Bongobits do them for £143: http://www.bongobits.com/Main.asp?PageN ... roduct=316

I'm sure other suppliers will stock them too. Alternatively, you could take a punt on this piece of exhaust with sensor attached:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAZDA-BONGO-MPV-F ... 240%3A1318

Hey, many thanks for the info. Choices, choices . . .

[apole]

Hi,

You can use of of these, looking for a universal 2 wire sensor, £47.

http://www.lambdasensor.co.uk/main/mazdantk.htm

Check out the how to test section, easy to do.

[cheffy34]

I second that apole im trying to track down a cat pipe heat sensor at the mo not to much avail looks like i'm gonna have to pay the £90 being asked and my usual contact can't get one either and all because of the otter river it a long story did you manage to get a universal lambda with same colour wires APOLE

[apole]

Hi,

From memory the colour of the wires doesn't matter, these are old school 2 wire sensors, no heaters, they just give out a varying voltage for 0 to 0.9volts, you just have to ensure you use a meter to work out which is + and -.

Maybe worth giving them a call but from memory the universal ones should be fine.

I'd also call a UK mazda dealer, I've often found they are competative with the price and you know it will work.

BTW I found out after the event that the diags port in the petrol bongo gives out lots of info. one of the tests and error codes covers the lambda, the local LPG garage has a computer that fits mine. If you can find someone locally it maybe worth doing this before splashing out.

[cheffy34]

Had mine down me mates garage to get it on the computer but found out his diagnostics didn't fit the the port hole reckon you may be right tho apole would be worth getting it on one before i splash the cash, i just took his advice and everything points towards the heat sensor

[apole]

Hey guys,

So what are the symptoms that point you towards a faulty lambda? I only found out as my LPG installer said it was faultly. TBH it didn't fix the issue in question, but it did improve my MPG a bit. From what I read up on when these have heated up enough they then help the ECU control the fuel/air mixture. As they wear out gradually the mixture tends to get richer, hence you use more fuel.

Whilst they warm up they are not working at all and the ECU just works on a standard map, but remember the ECU works on many inputs such as coolant temperature so if you just disconnect it you are likely to get a fault code logged.

The diags on the bongo isn't the more common and now standard OBD that you see on all cars from around 2000 which is a shame as there are loads of good scanners and trip computers that could then work with it.

The guy that locally does my LPG has a scanner (name I can't recall) that has a variety of plugs to fit many cars, it has the bongo in it and reads it well, many bits of info in there from gearbox, engine, sensors etc.

I have an idea, firstly I'd test the sensor (when the engine is cold then hot) with a multimeter, anything below 0.4v is lean, anything above is rich up to 0.9v. It should be bouncing around all over the place.

If I could not find anyone locally with the relevant diags computer, halfords do a TIM gauge for £24 that you connect to the lambda and it has a circle of LEDS showing the mixture range, you could then wire it up and use it whilst driving.

Im certain the 2 wire universal one will fit and work, I can't recall where mine came from as the dealer fitted mine but I'm sure it was a universal one.

PM me if you need to know more info.

[cheffy34]

Mine is not the lambda which is pre cat mine is the heat sensor that actually sits smack bang in the middle of the cat pipe which untill recently only lit the dash light when you first start the engine, untill i had an issue with allot of standing water coming home from work in the night engine dropped cylinders then the cat pipe heat light came on, not gone out since suppose thinking on it, it may be poss to reset it but suppose that will need doing on the diagnostics. I assume the secondry sensor also helps adjust the mixture as i'm deffo heavier on fuel this week just aswell petrol down to 96p

[apole]

Hi,

The one I replaced was just behind the engine on the exhaust pipe, I think before the cat so it's different to the one you are having problems with. What would happen if you just disconnected it, would that help prove or disprove it's faulty I wonder?

You can probably reset the error by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes. This worked recently on my smart car, however it did also remove the error code when the garage did a scan.

Notice you are a long way from my parts so the garage I know with a scanner won't be much use.

Andy

[cheffy34]

Nope tried that decided it was inconclusive no change suppose the ecu would still says there is a prob if it disconnected cause it not detecting it, but there again i'm only guessing wonder what the voltage across it should be, but does it change the mixture or not is it there purely to detect that your cat pipe is gonna melt or already has melted i seem to be getting conflicting info from my mate the mechanic says it dont do anything really if that is the case why is it connected to the ecu so i'm gonna investigate it against his don't waste your money go get yourself a t4 advice I always thought that a secondry sensor also helped change the mixture any clues apole

Dar